May the door of this home be wide enough
to receive all who hunger for love,
all who are lonely for friendship.
May it welcome all who have cares to unburden,
thanks to express, hopes to nurture.
May the door of this house be narrow enough
to shut out pettiness and pride, envy and enmity.
May its threshold be no stumbling block
to young and strained feet.
May it be too high to admit to complacency,
selfishness and harshness.
May this home be for all who enter,
the doorway to richness and a more meaningful life.
The Siddur of Shir Chadash
In addition to viewing this writing literally as a blessing for your home, my invitation is to use this as a metaphor for other areas of your life.
For example, Virginia Carlson says:
‘This writing is offered to encourage you to experience nature with an open mind. Being out in nature, in a sense for some, is like being welcomed home. It is a place where all burdens can be temporarily set down upon the ground or blown away in the wind. The distractions of animals ease your mind into calm. Other aspects of nature such as snow, flowers, little buds on bushes or leafing trees stir a sense of rebirth within your spirit. Breathing in the crisp air, you can feel refurbished while your body physically stretches itself with rekindled energy.’
Those of us who are integral coaches could use this effectively as a distinction for our clients – and for ourselves! This would help amplify the journey from current to future narrative. I’d be interested to know what opportunities this might have opened for you, how this writing and its use as a metaphor might have enabled you to see something differently.
For more information on Executive Coaching or Keynote Speaking, please contact brenda@146.66.90.172 or phone +27 82 4993311.